Hospital Administrator Quits

Officials At Coral Springs Medical Center Expect More Changes

January 20, 1996|By BOB LaMENDOLA Staff Writer

His emergency room under a cloud from the deaths of three children, the first and only administrator of tax-assisted Coral Springs Medical Center stepped down on Friday. Officials predicted more changes may come.

Jason H. Moore said he agreed to resign after meetings with his boss and neighbor, G. Wil Trower, president of the hospital's parent, the North Broward Hospital District.

The hospital has been under state and federal scrutiny since April over allegations that slow or poor care contributed to three deaths. Two weeks ago, the state fined Coral Springs $35,000 for mishandling the three deaths and two other cases, and ordered many procedural changes.

"Wil and I talked about it, and I said I think I ought to resign," said Moore, 46. "It's time for a change. Bringing in new leadership will be positive for the organization."

But district board members said Trower removed Moore from his $162,623-a-year job to show the public and the state that changes were being made.

"You gotta do what you gotta do," said board member Harold Wishna. "You gotta have the confidence of the people."

The resignation probably will not cure the emergency room, board member Amadeo Trinchitella said.

The real answers will come after the district's new pediatric expert finishes studying the situation and suggests changes, he said. A report is due in about 6 weeks.

"It's our job to pinpoint where the problem is," Trinchitella said. "Is it the nurses? The office help who see [emergency patients) when they first come in? Or is it the emergency doctors?

"These incidents could have happened at any hospital. The coach gets fired because the team didn't produce," he said.

Moore disputed the coach analogy: "The team is doing well. There are some things we need to improve on. From my perspective, there needs to be a new face."

The 200-bed hospital, opened in 1987, had enjoyed a good reputation until marked last year by a string of high-publicity cases.

In February, Alexandra Silverman, 2, died of a virus after waiting 65 minutes to be seen in the emergency room. The delay did not cause her death, but subsequent care contributed. Her case touched off all the inspections.

In August, the hospital was sued by the family of infant Ashley Terban, who died of meningitis in April 1994 hours after emergency room doctors diagnosed her with a cold and sent her home.

On Thanksgiving, Eva Maria Ramirez, 7, died of a meningitis-related bacteria hours after being sent home by the emergency room doctor. Then this month, another infant, Joey Coffey, was hospitalized in critical condition with a bacteria three hours after being sent home by doctors. Joey has recovered.

The father of Eva Maria, Ivan Ramirez, called Moore's departure "a positive step."He favors revamping the emergency room, and said that requires new blood at the top.

"I think this means they are accepting there were errors in the way they treated my daughter," Ramirez said.

The weight of the cases ended Moore's otherwise stellar career with the hospital district.

He arrived 18 years ago as a management intern after receiving his masters degree in business administration from the University of Florida.

He ran the district's Imperial Point Medical Center for three years, then in 1985 was put in charge of building the Coral Springs center. He watched the construction from a trailer until the hospital opened in March 1987.

Moore will remain as a consultant for several months to finish projects, district spokesman Nat Goren said. Under district policy, he will collect six months severance pay starting now. Moore said he has job prospects in the private sector.

Trower, who lives four blocks from Moore in south Coral Springs, declined to comment about whether he forced the resignation, or whether it would boost the hospital's image.

"I don't want to put it that way. He's done a lot for the hospital," Trower said. Otherwise, "Things are being done to make whatever corrections or improvements are needed [to satisfy) the state."

Trower said he has not decided whether to make a national search for Moore's successor or promote from in-house. He plans to temporarily fill the job from within next week. One name floating: Imperial Point administrator A. Gary Muller.

Democratic State Rep. Ben Graber, a Coral Springs gynecologist who practices at the hospital, said he thought Moore was made a "scapegoat."Finances have grown tight for hospitals because of managed care, and the district laid off 100 people and abolished 155 other jobs during the past two years.

"They have been giving fewer employees - streamlining - with less experienced people, and when things go wrong they fire the administrator," Graber said.